St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-08
KNIGHTS ARE AMERICANS.
Master Workman PowderIy De-
nounces the Anarchists,
And Says Labor Will Fight Under the
ass Stars and Stripes.

HARRISBURG, Pa, April 1.-Two hun
dred Knights of Labor representing every
district in the state. met here to-day to
consider the various bills pertaining to
labor now pending in the legislature. To-
days session was entirely devoted to Or
ganization. The general master workman
expressed himself we'll pleased with the re-
suit OF the Chicago election. Ralph Beau
mont of Washington. and Secretary LIGHT
man addressed the convention. 1t is UNI
derstood that the legislators who have in
troduced labor bills will be requested to
explain them. The convention will draft
memorial to the legislature embodying its
views. and present it on Monday. The pub
lie meeting i'll the house of representatives
tonight was very largely attended Mr..
P0wderly presided and made speech, In
which ne asserted that labor had a right to
be represented here by men to look after
its interests in the legislature. He referred
to the monopolstic corporations being rep
resented in legislative halls, and said it was
time the labor uien of PENNSYLVANIA emu
lated the example of their brethren in New
Jersey and insist upon the eY animation of
all labor bills before they were passed. He
said:
We are charged with being anarchists and
favoring measures that tend to anarchy. As
Chief OF our organization l can say that an
archy finds no abiding place IN our midst,
but monopoljsts want to make people believe
the contrary. No matter what errors we
have committed in the past, we have always
aimed at doing right We have pursued a
line of policy and found out things that are
right and wrong, but we have always kept
cl ear of the one thing that brings odium in
our country-anarchy.
He rejoiced therefore in the defeat of the
anarchist candidates III Chicago.
l read of the result of the election in Chi
cago the other day and was glad to see that
the wotkingmen of that city were good
enough to
THROW THE LIE BACK
into the faces of those who passed as
their friends and representatives No
sooner did the anarchist ticket go before the
people than its supporters said: "We will carry
the ticket under the flag on whose face not
one star gistens, not one stripe is TO be
found, and the teachings of such men as
Powderly and Griliiths will have no weight
with u.s." But they found on election day
that anarchy was showed under as it
was never showed under before, and
l. say amen to that every
but what in the decoration of this hall you
might forget to place the American flag on
the walls Thursday; that it might be forgot
ten, j brought this with me this morning
there Mr.. Powderly exhibited the flag annie
tremendous applause) and / brought it here
SO that If it were charged that we were not
Americans that we would show we were. I
don't care where / was born, L don't care
where the rest of you were born, we
swear by that flag and no other. (Here Mr..
Powderly presented the flag to NJ. 7. Burke, of
Carbondale. an old friendly Let them to-
morrow morning, after these outbursts of
applause, charge us with being anything else
but free born American citizens, and these
manifestations which you have now given ex-
preston TO will be the refutation OF that lie
which will ring down the century in condem-
nation OF the red flag. Now, my brothers, we
are here, and we will stand or fall by the
sentiments l have given utterauce to- We
are
HERE AS AMERICANS
to watch American legislation IN the interests
Of the American people and in our American
way and also to say that these men who as
sernbled a hundred years ago in the city of
P Philadelphia and gave out the Declaration of
Independence to the world, were right when
they declared that all men were created free
and equal and endowed with certain inalien-
able rights, and that we believe. they
told the truth and that it still continues
to be the truth instead of a living lie
as some of these men would have people be-
ileve. Applause We can do this without
being anarchists, and do it without becoming
partisans and without being tied to the
chariot wheels of either the old Democratic
or Republican parties. 1t was now an i'm
possibility for mechanic to earn enough by
his own labor to support his family. He had
to call IN the help OF his wife and children
He wanted the barriers between a life of
shame and a life of virtuous industry greater
than IN 4.